


Saturn

by AussieBookworm



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Also I am terrible at titles, Based on a song, Carlos is a Good Boyfriend, Carlos is not described, Cecil Is Not Described, Cecil Is a Good Boyfriend, I flipping wrote this the day after my Poppa's funeral, Lots of made up constellations, M/M, Sad, Want to know why it's so sad?!, mm yes. Nothing like writing sad things after a sad event in your life, suggested that you listen to Saturn by Sleeping at Last while reading this, very sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-19 23:32:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7381963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AussieBookworm/pseuds/AussieBookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos looks back on one of his favourite times with Cecil. Stargazing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saturn

**Author's Note:**

> Funerals are not fun. Despite having fun in the name. Long story short, I wrote this a day after going to a funeral. That's probably why I decided to make it sad. I was listening to Saturn by Sleeping at Last at the time of writing, so if I was you, I would listen to it if you want to. Or not. I'm not here to police you. Also, this is my first WTNV fic. 
> 
> Enjoy, I guess

Carlos closed his eyes. He was laying on a hill and he could see Cecil clearly laying down next to him. Cecil was looking up at the night sky. Most citizens of Night Vale were too afraid to look up at the sky, in case they got arrested by the Sheriff's Secret Police for thinking too hard. The only people who would happily look up were the astronomers, astrologers, Steve Carlsberg and Cecil. Carlos was almost afraid to look up when Cecil first suggested that they'd go stargazing. To be honest, it wasn't the strangest activity the radio host had suggested, but still, the scientist was nervous. He'd been reeducated by the Secret Police several times since he arrived in Night Vale on that faithful day, but none of the reeducations worked. Carlos figured it was an outsider thing. The only thing the scientist could remember about the reeducation sessions was that they hurt.

 

Cecil was in silence was he looked at every inch of the night sky in front of him. A slight smile was playing on his lips. Carlos couldn't help but look as he made hot chocolate for him and his boyfriend to enjoy and warm up from. After a small while, Cecil lifted up his hand and lazily moved it around.  
"What are you doing, Babe?" Carlos quietly asked.  
Cecil leant his head backwards so he could see the scientist.  
"Tracing out constellations." Cecil answered.  
Carlos finished making the hot chocolate and sat down next to his boyfriend. Cecil murmured a thanks as he sat up, took a sip, then laid down again.  
"What constellations? As far as I'm aware of, Night Vale doesn't have any constellations that I know of." Cecil smiled.  
"Lay down. You're not looking hard enough." Carlos complied and laid down next to Cecil. 

 

Cecil put a hand on Carlos's hand. Cecil lifted up his other hand and pointed out a constellation. He traced it out.  
"Do you see those five stars in a circular pattern?" He asked.  
Carlos nodded.  
"That's the sheriff's badge."  
"The what?" Carlos tried not laughing.  
"It's a real thing!" Cecil defended.  
"Alright. Alright. I'm used to seeing constellations like the Big Dipper and Orion."  
"Those sound boring. Look!" Cecil cried, pointing to another group of the stars.  
"Do you see the stars in an oval with some others above it?"  
"Yeah?"  
"That's the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home." Carlos laughed.  
"I don't see it."  
Cecil smiled and lifted his boyfriend's hand.  
"The oval is the face, the stars above it is her hair and the stars below it is her body." Cecil explained.  
Carlos looked harder and he could indeed see a Faceless Old Woman.  
"I see it, Ceec!" Carlos exclaimed.  
Cecil turned his face, to face Carlos. Carlos turned his head, curiously. Cecil put his forehead on Carlos's and smiled.  
"I'm so glad you're here." He mumbled, lightly kissing Carlos.  
"Why wouldn't I come?" Carlos asked.  
Cecil said nothing before pointing out another constellation. 

 

Carlos felt something wet on his cheek. He opened his eyes and wiped under his eyes. The water was soon replaced with more. Carlos sniffled. He must have a blocked nose. He would fix that soon, when he got back to their home. Their home… Pushing the thought out of his mind, he closed his eyes once more and started to remember one of his later stargazing dates.

 

Cecil happily looked up at Carlos as he made it up the hill.  
"I thought you were going to wait for me." Carlos playfully asked.  
"I knew you would be busy, science-ing it up in your lab. I mean, it's not everyday that we get purple rain."  
Carlos laughed.  
"Did you figure it out in the end?" His boyfriend asked as Carlos sat next to him on a picnic blanket.  
"Nope. I guess it will remain a mystery." Carlos said.  
Cecil grabbed Carlos's hand and squeezed it.  
"I made you hot chocolate while I waited for you." Cecil said, passing a mug to Carlos.  
"Thanks, Boo." Carlos said, taking a sip.  
Cecil laid down and waited for Carlos to join him. Carlos placed the mug aside and laid down next to the radio host. Despite the rain earlier today, the stars were as bright as ever.  
"Alright, what constellation are you going to teach me about today?" Carlos asked.  
Cecil smiled and looked around, his eyes moving quickly. Suddenly, Cecil pointed.  
"Do you see those close together stars over there?"  
"The ones that look like sausages?" Carlos asked.  
Cecil nodded.  
"That's the Apache Tracker."  
Carlos snorted.  
"What?! No way!"  
"No! It's true. In Night Vale, if you're important or if you die, you get a constellation to be remembered by. That constellation is a real racist jerk."  
Carlos cracked up laughing and shook his head. Carlos stopped shaking his head and noticed a group of brightly lit stars surrounding the moon. It was shaped like an eye, with the moon as the pupil.  
"Is that a constellation?" He asked.  
"That, my dear Carlos, is the moon." Cecil explained.  
"No. The stars around it." Carlos said.  
Cecil looked at the stars.  
"Oh. Well that's… that's… that's me." Cecil whispered.  
"What do you mean it's you?"  
"It's the Voice of Night Vale. Me." Cecil hoarsely whispered.  
Carlos looked curiously at the stars, before turning to Cecil. He was crying.  
"Cecil?"  
"I'm fine." Cecil said.  
"Babe, why are you crying?"  
Cecil was silent until he spoke.  
"Whenever I look at that constellation, I can see my death in detail."  
"Babe…"

 

Carlos opened his eyes once more. He could still hear Cecil's voice. Carlos tried blinking, but the water would always show up. He wiped it away with a tissue, but it just made it worse. Carlos closed his eyes.

 

"See those six stars in the shape of a pyramid?"  
"Please don't tell me that's the flakey-O's pyramid."  
"No. It isn't. It's the librarian."  
"What?"  
"See those pincers and those legs?"  
There was silence until Carlos nodded.  
"I see it. Why is there a librarian in the sky?"  
"Well the city council figured there'd be less attacks if we had a librarian constellation."  
"To honour them?"  
"To scare the librarians away. What did they teach you in school?"  
Carlos chuckled as he watched the librarian. He could almost feel it's heavy breaths, asking if he was interested in reading Patricia Highsmith's award winning novel, Carol. Carlos froze and opened his mouth to ask a question when Cecil answered it.  
"Yes, it offers you book suggestions. It's a weird constellation. And as far as I'm aware of, Tamika Flynn's favourite constellation."  
Carlos laughed.

 

Eyes open again. It was staring to get dark. Carlos was starting to regret not wearing a warmer coat. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them. It warmed him up a little bit more, but not enough. There was still a chill in his bones. Carlos, deciding there was nothing else he could do, closed his eyes once more.

 

Carlos waited on the hill for his boyfriend. He quickly scanned the sky for any constellations that Cecil hadn't told him about yet. There were so many stars in the sky. Carlos wasn't sure, but he felt that Night Vale had more stars in the sky than the outside world. Carlos turned and started making a hot chocolate for him and his boyfriend. Despite living in a desert, it got very cold of an evening. As he opened the thermos, he wondered if Desert Bluffs had the same constellations. Or where Desert Bluffs used to be, before the citizens had to move away. He wasn't sure. The Desert Bluffs citizens preferred daytime to nighttime and seldom came out when it was dark. Carlos heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head to see Cecil looked at him.  
"Evening." Carlos greeted, passing him his mug.  
Cecil grunted in thanks and took a seat next to Carlos. Cecil quietly took a sip from his mug as Carlos got his mug.  
"What constellations will we look at today?" Carlos asked.  
"We're… going to do something different today." Cecil said.  
"What's wrong, Honey?"  
"Nothing. I just want to teach you something different today."  
Carlos looked at Cecil in interest.  
"Go on."  
Cecil sighed. The words that left Cecil's mouth, left Carlos spellbound. He could only look as Cecil quietly told him everything he knew. Carlos would have loved to written it down, but he left his notebook at home and he wouldn't be able to find a pen. Once Cecil finished, he looked at Carlos and smiled.  
"The universe was made just to be seen by your beautiful eyes, Carlos. How rare and beautiful it is, to even exist. Especially at the same time and for our paths to cross." Cecil was smiling.  
Carlos hadn't even noticed Cecil had stopped talking. Cecil laughed and kissed Carlos lightly on the lips. Carlos closed his mouth and smiled.

 

Carlos frowned as his eyes opened again. Everything around him was silent. He sniffled and wiped his nose once more. Carlos grabbed for his tissue again. Everyone had left. It was only him. As much as it pained him, he had to go over the last time he went stargazing. Carlos sighed and closed his eyes.

 

He waited on the hill. It had been a pretty normal day, even for Night Vale standards. Carlos knew the best way to make it abnormal was to listen to Cecil try to teach him about the legends and lore behind the constellations. It would always make Carlos laugh, listening to his deep voiced boyfriend explain how the four thousandth, six hundredth and eighth Intern constellation ended up there. Cecil was looking at the stars until he noticed the Voice of Night Vale was glowing purple. Carlos stood up and squinted. He heard panting and someone running towards him. Carlos turned to see Dana sprinting towards him. Dana stopped in front of Carlos and panted loudly.  
"Dana?" Carlos asked.  
Dana stood upright and stopped panting.  
"Carlos, you need to come with me. It's Cecil. Station Management lost it. Come on!" Dana said, grabbing Carlos's hand.  
Carlos and Dana tore down the hill, towards Dana's car. Carlos couldn't say anything. He couldn't believe what was going on. It couldn't be happening. Cecil would be just fine by the time they got to the radio station. He would be laughing at Carlos's shocked expression. Not in a mean way. But in a playful way. Cecil had to be alright! As the two pulled up the radio station, an intern ran towards them. Dana got out and listened to them. Carlos shakily stepped out of the car and looked at the station.  
"Come on." Dana said, grabbing Carlos's hand and leading him inside.  
Carlos looked around the dark radio station. Dana nudged him and pointed at a lump on the floor.  
"No." Carlos whispered.  
Dana and Carlos rushed over to the body. Carlos tried feeling his pulse, but couldn't hear anything.  
"Cecil. Cecil! Cecil! Please!" Carlos yelled, crying.  
"Cecil! Come back to me! Please!" He sobbed.  
Dana put a hand on Carlos's shoulder. Carlos said nothing as he sobbed into his boyfriend's still chest.

 

Carlos opened his eyes once more. It was pitch black. The stars and moon were the only thing illuminating the hill. Carlos knelt down and placed a bouquet of flowers in front of the grave. He imagine Cecil looking at Carlos's suit and suggestively asking if he got dressed up just for him. Carlos stood up once more. He felt tired from crying so much. He looked up at the stars and saw the Voice of Night Vale was glowing brighter than any of the other stars in the sky. Carlos looked down as another wave of tears came.  
"Carlos?" A voice behind him asked.  
Carlos turned his head to see Dana, still in her black dress, looking at him. Carlos turned back to the grave. Dana walked towards him and patted his back. Carlos could feel Dana's body shake with tears as the two looked at the grave. He let Dana in a hug as both of them cried. There was silence as the duo wept. Carlos remembered back when Cecil explained the universe to him. At the time, he couldn't remember it it, but now, everything was clear to him.  
"How rare and beautiful is it to exist?" Carlos whispered.  
Dana looked up at him.  
"Carlos?" She asked.  
"Cecil once taught me that the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes. I didn't believe him. But now?" Carlos trailed off and started crying.  
"I do. I do believe him." He sobbed as Dana pulled him in for a hug.  
"He told me that too. Only now, I know." Dana said with a quiver in her voice.  
The two slowly sat down, beside the grave. The two sadly looked up and saw another set of stars glow bright. Carlos couldn't help but stare at them, as he saw a man in the constellation.  
"You see it too?" Dana asked.  
Carlos nodded.  
"I'm going to call it the Boyfriend." He quietly said.  
"That's a good name." Dana mumbled.


End file.
